Chapter 193: The Twelve Fentian Halls

The Yellow Turban Warrior naturally wouldn't be courteous to Li Xuan, and took out a list filled with dense tiny characters from his bosom, handing it to Li Xuan.

After all, this territory belongs to Li Xuan; he is merely a hired hand and has no need to hide it.

"Immortal Master, these are the supplies we need. The underground part of Ladi Canyon is now almost finished, and we are ready to start constructing the surface buildings, as well as the irrigation for the fields and the walls," the Yellow Turban Warrior said, nodding at Li Xuan.

After Li Xuan took the list, he skimmed it briefly; the required building materials differed greatly in quantity and type from the last time, though the total amount was roughly the same. The Yellow Turban Warrior knew Li Xuan had a storage space, so he regulated the procurement amount to let Li Xuan's storage space work to its fullest.

Having finished reading the list, Li Xuan immediately placed it into his Small Cave Heaven.

Now Li Xuan is already adept at using the Small Cave Heaven; after all, in the past six months he has countless times taken out and stored medicinal herbs from its space, and countless trainings have almost turned the Small Cave Heaven into his instinct.

Li Xuan has also become accustomed to using the Small Cave Heaven as his storage space.

"By the way, Warrior, how's the forging hall we discussed coming along? How much longer until it can be officially used?" Li Xuan suddenly thought of Lou Gao and asked the Yellow Turban Warrior.

Compared with the construction of the entire Ladi Canyon, Li Xuan is more concerned with the forging hall promised to Lou Gao.

Once a suitable forging hall is ready, Li Xuan can invite Lou Gao into his territory to forge a Heaven-Shaking Cannon for him.

With the Heaven-Shaking Cannon, Li Xuan would possess the power to fearlessly confront a Title Douluo.

Although a year has passed since the last encounter with Jian Douluo and Gu Douluo, the pressure they exerted still sporadically surfaces in Li Xuan's mind, leaving him under great stress.

The only thing that can relieve this pressure is a divine weapon like the Heaven-Shaking Cannon.

"Immortal Master, as you instructed, we were naturally the first to build. The forging hall you requested is already completed. In the most stable part of the earth vein we have constructed twelve small forging halls and one large forging hall; the earth fire has also been fully arranged, and we even have a pipe of Mysterious Pool heavy water, allowing the large forging hall to use Mysterious Pool heavy water for quenching. With that, this forging hall should meet the smith's requirements," the Yellow Turban Warrior reported the construction progress to Li Xuan, easing his mind.

"You're amazing, even arranging earth fire and Mysterious Pool heavy water," Li Xuan said, his eyes brightening with surprise as he spoke to the Yellow Turban Warrior.

Li Xuan hadn't expected there to be an earth vein here, usable for the forging hall; it was truly an unexpected delight.

"Indeed, the earth veins in this world are abundant; we happen to have one here, and it's even better than the one at Chunqiu Jiuzhuang. We only directed some earth‑vein fire into the furnace without damaging the vein," the Yellow Turban Warrior said with a smile, nodding.

"I see, that's good. Warrior, choosing an auspicious day is no better than seizing the day; are you free today, Warrior, to take me to tour inside Ladi Canyon and check the forging hall so I can introduce it to others?" Li Xuan, curious about how Ladi Canyon had been built, asked.

"Of course that's no problem, Immortal Master, right this way," the Yellow Turban Warrior said, nodding after hearing Li Xuan.

"Alright, let's set off," Li Xuan said, nodding.

"Fine," the Yellow Turban Warrior nodded, then turned to arrange the carriage.

Watching the Yellow Turban Warrior leave, Li Xuan felt full of hope for Ladi Canyon; this was his old stronghold, and with steady development the future looked promising.

However, to fully develop its potential, Li Xuan still has many tasks ahead.

"Brother, I want to go too!" Bang Chui said earnestly to Li Xuan.

"Alright, then we'll go together to see Ladi Canyon; you also introduce the situation there to me, older brother," Li Xuan said with a smile, ruffling Bang Chui's hair, then waiting for the Yellow Turban Warrior's carriage.

Soon the Yellow Turban Warrior brought a carriage pulled by evolved horses.

Li Xuan had cultivated thirty soul‑beast horses in the space of a Palm Sky Bottle, using them as the camp's primary draft power.

After evolving into soul‑beasts, these horses' strength and stamina were greatly enhanced, their speed increased, and they could bear heavier loads, greatly reducing the slaves' burden; otherwise, the slaves would have to work day and night.

Moreover, after the horses successfully evolved into soul‑beasts, Li Xuan tried feeding them some Yunling Pill; they proved strong, so Li Xuan cultivated them to the hundred‑year soul‑beast level.

Li Xuan also experimented and found that even ordinary horses, once evolved into soul‑beasts, remained gentle and highly tame, so he wasn't worried they would harm anyone.

Boarding the carriage, the Yellow Turban Warrior led Li Xuan and Bang Chui into Ladi Canyon.

The Yellow Turban Warrior had made no alterations to Ladi Canyon, so the gorge retained its original appearance.

However, as they entered the territory within Ladi Canyon, Li Xuan discovered that the previously uneven ground had been backfilled; the surface was now covered in soil, with countless wooden stakes driven into it.

"The basement and secret passages are finished. While we were building them, the slaves were constructing the walls and were unaware of the passages, so security remains high," the Yellow Turban Warrior said, pointing to the exposed stakes and explaining to Li Xuan.

Li Xuan nodded with satisfaction; among the slaves were concubines of the Star Luo Empire, which is why the Yellow Turban Warrior had them keep a distance.

"It seems these concubines among the slaves will never leave this place," Li Xuan said with a laugh, shaking his head.

Li Xuan wouldn't let these slaves ruin his affairs; if necessary, he doesn't mind burying a batch of skeletons beneath his territory.

The Yellow Turban Warrior said nothing, merely nodded, and continued driving the carriage deeper into the gorge.

At this point, the road beneath Li Xuan's feet had changed from a muddy path to a teal stone slab road, making the carriage ride much smoother.

Construction in the canyon's core area had begun; a network of stone slab roads was already taking shape, indicating that the Yellow Turban Warrior also recognized the importance of roads and prioritized their construction.

The Yellow Turban Warrior drove the carriage along the teal stone path toward the canyon's center.

From a distance, Li Xuan saw a swath of red that resembled flames.

Dozens of small towers, like flames, stood on the ground, surrounded by red spirit plants that the Yellow Turban Warrior had asked Li Xuan to cultivate, which can increase the local Spiritual Energy density.

Combined, they appeared from afar as a massive blazing fire; although the ambient temperature hadn't changed, Li Xuan still felt the heat.

As Li Xuan drew nearer, he finally saw the true appearance of the structures: twelve massive small towers formed a barrier protecting a three‑story, imposing red building at the center.

These thirteen structures, each adorned with carved beams and painted eaves, resembled traditional Chinese architecture—noble and splendid, like massive works of art, utterly luxurious.

Their surfaces were pure red, with carved patterns and wall paintings all depicting flames, making the buildings' temperature even higher.

"Wow..."

Li Xuan exclaimed in awe; it was truly spectacular, beyond imagination how the Yellow Turban Warrior could construct such grand edifices.

"Immortal Master, this is the most stable earth fire pulse spot within Ladi Canyon, so we built the Fentian Thirteen Floors here, using earth fire as the foundation and drawing Mysterious Pool heavy water to create optimal forging conditions. It should meet the requirements of the smith you wish to invite," the Yellow Turban Warrior said with a smile to Li Xuan.

"Why build so many? One would suffice," Li Xuan scratched his head, puzzled, and asked the Yellow Turban Warrior.

"The true purpose of constructing these twelve Fentian Ge is to suppress earth fire. The earth vein here is massive, and its flames are unusually volatile, so we need to disperse the fire pressure. Moreover, each of the twelve outer towers contains its own earth fire eye, which helps keep the earth fire in the central Fentian Ge stable," the Yellow Turban Warrior explained to Li Xuan.

"I see," Li Xuan nodded, surprised that the additional twelve towers were built to suppress earth fire; it seemed earth fire wasn't easy to control.

"We have only erected the buildings; the smith and the ore must be arranged by the Immortal Master, and we are powerless beyond that," the Yellow Turban Warrior said with a smile to Li Xuan.

"That's natural. On this trip, I will bring back the continent's finest smith," Li Xuan said with a slight smile to the Yellow Turban Warrior.

"May the Immortal Master achieve his wish. We excel at construction but not at forging; otherwise, we could forge whatever you need," the Yellow Turban Warrior shrugged, smiling at Li Xuan.

Then the Yellow Turban Warrior led Li Xuan to jump down from the carriage and arrived before the Fentian Zhuge.

Looking up, he saw a massive plaque bearing the three bold characters "Fentian Ge".

The Yellow Turban Warrior stepped forward and slowly pushed open the great doors of the Fentian Zhuge.

As the doors opened, a wave of heat surged forward, and the familiar scorching sensation hit Li Xuan.

Li Xuan felt no discomfort at all from the heat wave, but Bang Chui was startled and hid behind Li Xuan.

After pushing the door open, what came into view was a massive furnace, three meters tall, entirely built from core‑fire spirit stone, and even the core fire could not melt the stone.

Inside the huge furnace burned the raging core fire; although separated by the furnace walls, Li Xuan could feel the scorching high temperature radiating from it.

"Master, this is the core‑fire furnace we constructed, extraordinarily sturdy; due to the fire's heaven‑shaking power, we named it Fentian Ge. Please, master, step inside," the Yellow Turban Warrior continued explaining to Li Xuan.

"Warrior, why not turn this place into an Alchemy Room?" Li Xuan asked the Yellow Turban Warrior.

"The core fire here is relatively more volatile, suitable only for forging, not for alchemy. More than ten kilometers away is where we chose to set up the Alchemy Room," the Yellow Turban Warrior said with a smile to Li Xuan.

"I see," Li Xuan nodded satisfactorily, glad that the Yellow Turban Warrior hadn't forgotten his Alchemy Room.

Li Xuan also wanted to try forging Alchemy Pills with core‑vein fire, as this would not only speed up his pill‑making but also enhance his control over flames; in short, the benefits are considerable.

Then, under the Yellow Turban Warrior's guidance, Li Xuan led Bang Chui into Fentian Ge; both the interior and exterior were exquisitely carved, every detail crafted with the Yellow Turban Warrior's exceptional quality, making it extraordinarily beautiful.

Li Xuan and Bang Chui began strolling through Fentian Ge under the Yellow Turban Warrior's lead.

However, halfway through their walk, Bang Chui suddenly became dehydrated and fainted.

After all, Bang Chui is a human‑ginseng Transformation Form, still young and frail, so the intense heat caused this.

Li Xuan deals with flames daily, so he naturally isn't afraid of them.

Looking at the fainted Bang Chui, Li Xuan gave a helpless smile, noting that the kid still lacks training.

"Warrior, let's stop the tour here today; Bang Chui seems unable to continue, and I can't make sense of the forging structures. Let's go out; I also need to pack my things and set off to procure supplies," Li Xuan said with a smile to the Yellow Turban Warrior.

"Alright, master, I'll see you out," the Yellow Turban Warrior said, then led Li Xuan away from the place.

Li Xuan shrugged helplessly, grabbed the drowsy Bang Chui, and left Fentian Ge.

Back on the carriage, the Yellow Turban Warrior took Li Xuan out of Ladi Canyon and returned to the temporary territory outside Ladi Canyon.

"Master, I can only see you off to here; the canyon will soon begin dividing farmland and constructing the main buildings," the Yellow Turban Warrior said, nodding at Li Xuan.

"Warrior, go back; I'll take Bang Chui out for a walk," Li Xuan said, bowing his hand to the Yellow Turban Warrior.

"Master, may you have a smooth journey and return safely," the Yellow Turban Warrior said, nodding at Li Xuan.

Li Xuan smiled, nodded, switched to an ordinary carriage, and drove it away from Ladi Canyon with Bang Chui.

Though a hundred‑year soul beast pulling a carriage is impressive, it draws too much attention; Li Xuan prefers to do something ordinary.

After leaving Ladi Canyon, Li Xuan headed straight for Gengxin City; now the most important task is to recruit Lou Gao.

The forging workshop has been completed, and it's time to invite Lou Gao.

Once Lou Gao arrives, the production of the Heaven‑Shaking Cannon can begin, and as for the required ore…

This time Li Xuan will also go to Star Luo City for massive procurement, to prevent a shortage of raw materials during forging.

(End of chapter)